New Vietnamese restaurant slated to open early next year in Houma

Wednesday

Dec 12, 2012 at 5:45 PM

Houma will have its first authentic Vietnamese restaurant early in 2013, its owners said.Bing Tran, 49, of New Orleans, Logan Landry, 35, of Houma, and Gary Blanchard, 35, of Thibodaux, have partnered to work on their newest project, White Bowl, to be located at 235 Enterprise Drive, Suite B.

Sable LeFrereStaff Writer

Houma will have its first authentic Vietnamese restaurant early in 2013, its owners said.Bing Tran, 49, of New Orleans, Logan Landry, 35, of Houma, and Gary Blanchard, 35, of Thibodaux, have partnered to work on their newest project, White Bowl, to be located at 235 Enterprise Drive, Suite B.“We are in the beginning stages,” Tran said. “Everything should be done in about two months.”Tran and Landry said the idea of opening a restaurant came about after the success of the trio’s other two businesses, BLG Solar Solutions, a solar installation and mini blinds company, and Xpress Lines, a window-covering company, which are both in Houma.They reunited a year ago at Tran’s business, Bing Cherry Frozen Yogurt in Houma. After a good conversation and having experienced working together at Kirschman’s Furniture store in Houma before it closed, the business ideas started flowing.“We’ve known each other over 12 years,” Tran said. “They’re like my brothers. We know each other really well. We work great together.”For the trio, venturing into the restaurant business together seemed only right.“Bing has always wanted to open a restaurant, and each of us has always had separate interests in it. We started talking about it, and it really just made sense ... With the three of our business senses and Bing knowing the cuisine very well, it just seemed like a no-brainer,” Landry said.Some of the more popular cuisine Tran and Landry said the restaurant will be known for are egg rolls, spring rolls and the traditionally popular pho soup. “Epecially the pho soup. It was like what sushi is today 10 years ago. It was the cool food, and we want to bring that back,” Landry said.Tran said the restaurant’s hours are not finalized but will probably be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday.“It’s a great time and a great location. It was a good opportunity to do something new, and it was something that Houma needs,” Tran said.The trio is hoping to have White Bowl’s grand opening at the end of January and possibly open another White Bowl in New Orleans.“We have a lot of plans over the next two years,” Tran said.“It’s only the beginning. We will see where it takes us from there,” Landry said.

Staff Writer Sable LeFrere can be reached at 985-857-2204 or at sable.lefrere@houmatoday.com.